Human Resources & Volunteer Management

Janaagraha has a core group of paid permanent staff and 200 volunteers who satisfy our HR requirements at any given point in time. Volunteers are important to Janaagraha in two respects: they infuse the organization with new ideas and creativity, and play a critical part of the ethos of the organization. 'Practical Patriotism' and 'Professional Volunteerism' are drivers in Janaagraha's approach to volunteers

As engaged citizens, YOU can be a part of Janaagraha and build on the opportunities to improve our public governance. Please find below an overview of different programs and related opportunities.

All full-time opportunities are highlighted as

Underlying our activities in research is the conviction that there can be no activism without information. Our research programme at Janaagraha is focused on three areas – Political and Social Research, Economic Research and Legal Research. Our mission is to combine academic rigour with grassroots research to provide an informed foundation to act upon. We are working towards developing a research centre on urban governance in JCCD- The Civic Literacy Index which will be a measure of how aware people are about civic affairs, will be the first key project.

Research Associate

The responsibilities of a Research Associate include:

Supporting the Research Coordinator in ensuring the successful implementation of the Training Program
Research and Documentation of the initiatives that will be undertaken by the Research programme
Support associated initiatives and objectives of JCCD
Conduct exploratory work for new Research projects
Write up grants and proposals
Editing, preparing and publishing of journals, monographs, articles and books.
Management of inter institutional collaborations and partnerships
Provide services as and when required to the other departments and programmes of Janaagraha.

Skills: Research Analysis, Documentation
Time Commitment: 48 hours

The Bala Janaagraha programme is designed to create within our children, a strong moral and social compass that will guide them towards being responsible citizens in society. It seeks to equip children with the know ledge of how local governments operate and makes the students understand their role as future citizens in a democracy. Through a ‘citizenship course’ and structured activity-based projects , Bala Janaagraha also engages children in exploring civic issues directly related to their neighbourhoods.

Bala Janaagraha Coordinator

The responsibilities of a Bala Janaagraha (BJ) Coordinator include:

Strategize, plan and execute BJ program (short term, medium and long term)
Coordinate with schools & engage children in BJ citizen awareness programs & related projects.
Organize BJ Civic Fest and other special events
Develop and conduct program’s evaluation on an ongoing basis
Project delivery and implementation for various initiatives undertaken by BJ programs.
Management of inter institutional collaborations and partnerships
Conduct classes for children, guide and mentor facilitators
Manage entire program level documentation and communication
Develop and conduct training modules
Collaborate and partner with other Janaagraha programmes and other organizations.
Provide services as and when required to the other programmes of Janaagraha.

Skills: Project management, HR Management, PR, volunteer management, teaching, event management, excellent communication, presentation, documentation. We are looking for someone passionate about working with children.
Qualifications: A master’s degree in Social Sciences preferred.
Time Commitment: 40 hours a week

Bala Janaagraha Associate

The responsibilities of a Bala Janaagraha Associate include:

Assisting and supporting Bala Janaagraha Coordinator.
Documentation of initiatives and projects under the programme
Planning and coordination of various activities under the programme.
Regular programme management activities

Skills: Good communication, documentation, soft skills.
Educational Qualifications: A graduate in any discipline.
Time Commitment: 48 hours a week.

Bala Janaagraha Content Developers

They are required to develop and design Bala Janaagraha citizenship education content.

Skills: Documentation, content development, copywriting, graphic design. Time commitment: 5 hours a week

Bala Janaagraha Event Facilitators

The responsibilities include

Coordination with school authorities
Assist, mentor and tutor children with their projects
Judge projects and organize events.

Bala Janaagraha Facilitors

The responsibilities include:

Assist or conduct Bala Janaagraha classes.
Guide and mentor students with projects.
Accompany and ensure children's safety during all outdoor activities
Assist core team conduct and organize Bala Janaagraha events.

Skills: Public speaking, project-management, event- management, volunteer management
Time commitment: 3 hours a week

Bala Janaagraha Partnership Builder:

We need volunteers to present Bala Janaagraha to various schools to enroll them in the Bala Janaagraha program and further partnerships with existing new schools.

Time commitment: 3 hours a week.

Bala Janaagraha Project Mentors:

Volunteers will assist, guide and mentor children with their civic project work. They will be required to review their projects periodically. In addition, they may need to help Janaagraha organize civic fests.

Skills: Fluent in English & Kannada. Good communication, teaching & training skills. Time commitment: 3 hours a week.

Bala Janaagraha Core Team Members:

We need volunteers to plan and deliver the programme and coordinate with the school management, teachers and volunteers.

Skills: Public speaking, fluency in English and Kannada. Project management, event management and community mobilization.
Time commitment: 10 hours a week

Bala Janaagraha Support Pool

Volunteers will assist in conducting the Bala Janaagraha programme at various schools. It is an experiential programme where children explore civic issues directly related to their neighborhood and their role in shaping their communities. Volunteers are required to participate in the class room sessions - interact, teach and guide the children in discussions, guide them with their civic project work and organize an event like the civic exhibition. They will put together written programme material and instructions and coordinate with school management, teachers and Janaagraha to run the programme.

Time commitment: 6 hours a week

Based on the belief that each individual can play a role in our democracy, the CAP was created to give citizens the knowledge, motivation and tools necessary to participate in the political process/governance of their city. The program is conducted by trained facilitators with small groups of participants.

Through multimedia presentations participants learn about the structure of the union, state and local governments, the infrastructure of service providers and the strengths and challenges of our democracy. Role-playing and team and individual exercises reinforce key concepts.

The final phase of the CAP introduces tools and methods for community engagement that enable individuals to contribute to the quality of life in their community. Participants become part of a growing network of committed citizens who feel a sense of ownership towards their city.

CAP Facilitator

CAP Facilitators will undergo training and exposure to the program, before being permitted to train program participants. Facilitators must be willing to modify and develop their delivery based on regular evaluation and feedback.

Skills: Public speaking, documentation, content development, training.
Time Commitment:8 to 10 hours a week.

Janaagraha believes that the nation’s youth have the immense potential to resolve the issues of the nation and therefore must be oriented to engage proactively. Yuva Janaagraha therefore aims to actively involve the country’s youth in democracy.

Yuva Janaagraha (YJ) Coordinator

The responsibilities include:

Strategize, plan and execute YJ program (short term, medium and long term)
Liaise with existing partner YJ colleges and build new institutional partnership
Maintain collaborations with other organizations and individuals involved
Coordinate and organize events in Yuva Janaagraha
Train and motivate team to accomplish the goals of the program
Recruit and manage volunteers for the program
Manage entire program-level documentation and communication

Skills: Public speaking, project management, volunteer management, training, program-planning & strategizing, team building, event management, excellent communication skills and soft skills.
Qualifications: A graduate in any discipline
Time Commitment: 48 hours a week

Yuva Janaagraha Deputy Coordinator

The responsibilities of the Yuva Janaagraha Deputy Coordinator include:

Assist in overall planning, strategizing and execution of the YJ program.
Coordinate with teachers & principals in colleges to execute training programs
Train volunteers to deliver session, arrange logistics and monitor overall
Manage projects with students and other stakeholders
Guide, assist and mentor students with their projects.

Skills: Event and volunteer management, public speaking, content development and communication.
Qualifications: A graduate in any discipline.
Time Commitment: 48 hours a week.

Yuva Janaagraha Mentor

The role is for a period of 4 months from July 08 –October 08. It will involve the following:

Mentor core Yuva Janaagraha students in colleges
Train and motivate students to take up Yuva Janaagraha activities and the program’s approach to local government and other additional forums.
Support and assist students in events conducted in colleges
Assist students in overall planning, strategizing and detailing
Encourage students to take up tasks and guide them through those tasks

The mentor should be able to think out of the box and be at his/her creative best. The mentor will be trained on Janaagraha’s approach and will be given rigorous training to work with students. Adequate support and backing will be provided by the Yuva Janaagraha program.

Skills: Public speaking, documentation, event and project management, soft skills. This is a part-time volunteer role requiring 3 hours a week. The mentor is expected to visit the college every week.

Yuva Janaagraha Trainer

The role is for a period of 6 months from July 08- January 09. We need volunteers with an ability to interact with groups of students, and are passionate about learning more about citizenship. S/he must possess a good command of English language and be capable of handling large groups of students. The trainer will be given basic material to work from and ample training before beginning the job.

Skills: Public speaking, teaching, training, soft skills. This is a part-time volunteer role and requires 3 hours a week.

Design Volunteers

We require volunteers to design YJ collateral like posters, banners, electronic mailers, brochures, etc. The volunteer needs to be familiar with graphic design software applications. This is a part-time volunteer role and requires an input of 4 to 5 hrs per week.

Speakers’ Corner Team

We require volunteers interested in promoting the idea of free speech who enjoy working with teams of young people. The work involves creating a “think tank” for the sessions and guiding the program towards making it the ideal and preferred platform for the youth to voice their opinions. We need people interested in current issues and with the ability to make the sessions fun, interesting and informative. The volunteers will also coordinate logistics with the college/organization to conduct the event. Volunteers from colleges or companies are preferred. This is a part-time volunteer role and requires 2 to 3 hours per week

Yuva Janaagraha Core Team Members

We require volunteers to build the Yuva Janaagraha program. We are looking for volunteers with good communication skills, able to work in teams and manage small teams, with good decision-making skills and most of all commitment and dedication to the program. The work will involve planning and designing creative projects and coordinating work between various teams mostly in colleges. This is a part-time volunteer role and requires an input of 3 to 4 hrs per week.

In the year 1992, the Parliament passed the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment, two key acts that effected decentralization of governance to the local level. While the 73 rd Amendment institutionalized citizen participation in rural areas through Gram Sabhas, the 74th Amendment did not create a similar space for the urban citizenry. Janaagraha aims at filling this gap through the platform of Area Sabhas. Defined as the group of all registered voters living within the jurisdiction of a polling booth, Area Sabhas create a political space that connects the people to the decision making process, thereby deepening the platform for citizen participation to the level of a ward.

Area Sabha Associate

Assist the Area Sabha Coordinator in overall planning, strategizing and execution.

Coordinate and work with Urban Communities to create awareness and mobilize them.
Coordinate and liaison with Local government, Para statals and municipality.

The role involves a lot of field work and travel within the city. The candidate should possess a two-wheeler for this purpose.

Skills: Community mobilization, knowledge of written and spoken Kannada, conflict resolution, documentation of field work, project management, soft skills.
Qualification: An MSW in community mobilization, MA in Sociology, or a Master's degree in any of the social sciences with a minimum experience of 1 year working with communities.
Time Commitment: 48 hours a week.

Janaagraha’s model of change also leverages Advocacy as a medium to bring about long-term sustainable change. Janaagraha firmly believes that it is imperative to change policies and legislations in order to bring about lasting changes in urban governance. The Advocacy program involves extensive background research, preparing case studies, facilitating policy discussions and seminars, and advocating the REED reform framework at local, state and national levels.

Advocacy Associate

The responsibilities of the Advocacy Associate include:

Research and document the initiatives undertaken by the program
Communicate with various stakeholders of the program, like government, civil society and citizens with respect to each initiative
Anchor Partner Initiatives
Support, plan, and coordinate the various activities under the program
Manage regular program activities and travel occasionally within the country. Skills: Analytical bend of mind, good writing and basic computer skills. Qualifications: A graduate of law, economics or political science.

Time Commitment: 48 hours a week.

Ward Infrastructure & Services Assessment (WISA) project is a unique initiative to assess an urban citizen’s quality of life through the measure of local public goods delivery in a citizen-centric manner. This will be done through a ward level measurement of a set of infrastructure and service indicators that are objective, quantifiable and unchallengeable. Besides being a powerful tool providing valuable information to urban planners and decision makers, WISA will also facilitate a direct accountability of local administration and elected representatives to the urban citizens.

WISA Planning Associate

The responsibilities of a WISA Planning Associate include:

Research and develop Quality of Life indicators under WISA
Define benchmarks, sources and protocols for collecting information on these indicators from the field
Establish systems / procedures at a ward level for collecting and monitoring information on WISA

indicators throughout the pilot phase of the project.
Establish guidelines for web-based dissemination of indicator values on a quarterly basis
Document all aspects of WISA project – research, planning and implementation to create a toolkit for easy scale-up to other cities across India.

Skills: Project management, volunteer management, documentation, soft skills.
Time Commitment: 48 hours a week.
Qualification: A graduate in any discipline / Engineering graduate preferred.

Technology Associate

The role of Technology Associate is for a period of 12 months lasting through the complete pilot phase of

WISA implementation for Bangalore. It will involve the following:

Develop specifications for website development for WISA including MIS database
Coordinate the website and backend technology development for WISA project
Maintain the website and periodically update new information on WISA indicators throughout the pilot phase of the project
Use satellite imagery to gather information on certain infrastructure indicators
Use GIS to create templates for spatial representation of WISA indicators.

Qualification: A graduate in any discipline / Engineering graduate preferred.
Skills: Documentation, project management, soft skills, GIS.
Time Commitment: 48 hours a week.

Ward Champion

The responsibilities of the Ward Champion include:

Coordinate periodic data collection on field for water, electricity, air etc.
Collect half-yearly feedback from various communities in your ward on safety, satisfaction with public amenities such as parks and playgrounds, etc.
Conduct quarterly surveys to assess crime incidences, quality of public toilets etc.
Enter data pertaining to your ward ONLINE to generate your ward’s WISA score.

Time Commitment: 2 full days a month.

WISA Volunteer

The responsibilities of a WISA Volunteer include:

Conduct surveys in communities to assess safety and satisfaction with public amenities such as parks, playgrounds etc.
Conduct ground surveys to assess the quality of lane markings and other feature of major roads in Bangalore.
Conduct studies to determine crowding in buses across Bangalore during peak hours.

Time Commitment: 12 to 15 hours a week.

Bangalore City Connect is the first of the City Connect chapters to be established in August 2007 as a registered trust with the Confederation of Indian Industry (Karnataka and Bangalore chapters) and Janaagraha as its founding members. This body includes the membership of prominent industry associations and citizen groups in Bangalore.

The agenda of the foundation is to address urban infrastructure issues. Traffic and transportation has been identified as the inaugural focus areas of Bangalore City Connect. City Connect has a formal arrangement with the Karnataka Government and its agencies (e.g. Bangalore Traffic Police, BDA, BBMP, BMTC) to take up traffic and transport-related projects under the Bangalore Traffic and Transport Initiative (BTTI). A few of the projects that have been initiated include the design of a Mobility Hub close to BIAL, model traffic junctions incorporating international best practices, traffic management on Bellary road, etc.

Transport Engineers

The responsibilities of the Transport Engineer include:

Assist City Connect to identify key traffic & transport projects that can be taken up in the respective cities.
Provide transportation engineering expertise in field data collection, transportation planning, and traffic operations studies for specific projects.
Create models using planning and operations software for conducting transportation studies.
Prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for various traffic & transport projects of City Connect.
Coordinate project implementation for traffic & transport projects of City Connect taken up under Bangalore Traffic & Transport Initiative (BTTI) with the support of the Govt. of Karnataka.

Qualification: Civil Engineer.
Skills: Efficiency in soft skill and copywriting.
Time Commitment: 48 hours a week.

The Communications Program facilitates the information exchange and dialogue across stakeholder groups with the goal of positioning Janaagraha’s value and work in the context of Urban Governance and Citizen Participation.

Communications Associate

The responsibilities of a Communications Associate include:

Set and implement an ongoing visibility campaign highlighting Janaagraha’s programs, events, and positions on issues. Work with Program Coordinators to craft effective messages for campaigns and determine appropriate channels.
Primary organizational contact with journalists. Create press releases, cultivate relationships with reporters, pitch stories, maintain media database. Monitor news stories and media coverage

of Janaagraha. Plan for reviewing and documenting specific Janaagraha coverage.
Work with Program Coordinators to determine which projects and issues are currently core to Janaagraha and the Program. Find ways to translate this work so it is easy for stakeholders to connect and get information for participation and fulfillment of program objectives.
Oversee the writing, design and production of Janaagraha publications, with primary responsibility for the Janaagraha Times, organizational brochures and other marketing and promotional collateral. Oversee the print production process, ensuring that processes are in place to achieve high quality and avoid errors.
Support work on the development of the website and intranet, ensuring that their design is focused on the needs as users and that they are effective communications tools.
Work closely with the technology function at Janaagraha to develop and maintain an effective database that supports intelligent targeting of communications.
Put in place systems to ensure that the database and associated mailing lists are accurate.

Skills: Copywriting, documentation, layout design, graphic design, content development.
Time Commitment: 48 hours a week.
Qualification: A graduate from any discipline.

Design Volunteer

The responsibilities of a Design Volunteer include:

Deliver specific design requirements using a brief given by the program
Design and assist in work on posters/brochures/flyers/ etc.

Skills: Adobe software, photography, web design.
Time commitment: 8 to 10 hours a week.

Volunteer Anchor

The responsibilities of a Volunteer Anchor include:

Assist in communication work within the designated program.
Develop communication plans for each program: message mapping for stakeholders, content writing and media communication.
Role play of communications volunteer.

This is a part-time role and requires an input of 1 to 2 days a week at Janaagraha.

Communications Volunteer

We require Communication Volunteers with good writing skills and an ability to understand the Program. The volunteer will have to send weekly written updates of the Program which will be used on the website and in our monthly magazine. They will have to cover the YJ events and write articles on the progress of the Program.

Time Commitment: 2 to 3 hrs per week.

On line Communications Volunteer

The role includes content development and updating the website. S/he will be responsible to follow up with coordinators and collate updated content on a rotational basis. Interactive pages will have to be reviewed regularly and information kept current. S/he will build appropriate groups on the site and moderate them to move the dialogue forward meaningfully.

Time Commitment: 7 to 10 hrs per week with one meeting in the office.

One of Janaagraha's goals is to effectively utilize the power of technology as an enabler in the urban governance landscape. Technology at Janaagraha encourages citizens to participate in improving their quality of life in their city through ward maps, Ward Online, discussion forums and opinion polls.

Technology Deputy Coordinator

The responsibilities of a Technology Deputy Coordinator include:

Support the Technology Coordinator to ensure implementation of the Technology Program
Enhance the website by improving existing modules like Civic Discovery Zone, Ward Online and

Volunteer Management system using MySQL database, Drupal CMS and PHP programming.

Skills: Web design, website development, DRUPAL CMS
Qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with 2 to 3 years works experience.
Time Commitment: 48 hours a week.

Web content management

We need volunteers to help support the redesign of the website by supporting the technology team. This could also be a paid position if it is on a contract for a period of one month or more.

Skills: Web design, website development, DRUPAL CMS.

Web Developer

We have re-designed the homepage and inner pages of our website. Since our website is based on Drupal Content Management System we need the existing design to be converted to Drupal.
Skills: Web design, website development, DRUPAL CMS, PHP programming.
Time: Commitment: 10 hours a week.

For further details, attend our Orientation program every Saturday at 4pm. You can also visit us at
www.janaagraha.org or contact us at 080-41277102/103
Write to us at kavitha@janaagraha.org
volunteer@janaagraha.org